The Wilderness Way - Response to Hurricane Ike

Dear colleagues in Christ:

I want to extend my deepest appreciation to all churches in the Central Texas Conference for the numerous compassionate ways you’ve responded to the many people affected by Hurricane Ike, which devastated the Texas coast when it made landfall on Sept. 13. In addition, please accept my deep gratitude to so many of you for offering your church buildings as shelters, your members as volunteers, and your material and financial contributions to support the relief efforts of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and other responding organizations.

I want to ask a number of things from us collectively as we move forward into the future in assisting our brothers and sisters hit so hard by Hurricane Ike. First of all, I want to ask you and your congregation to continue to pray for those who are affected so deeply by the storm. In particular, I ask you to pray for those United Methodist churches in the Texas Annual Conference that were hard hit. Ike affected seven districts in the Texas Conference and damaged more than 100 churches and parsonages in those areas. Several of these properties were severely damaged, and it is anticipated that at least one church will be a total loss.

Texas Conference Bishop Janice Huie conveyed in a recent appeal that in addition to a vast need for rebuilding of lives and homes along the coast, of great concern is the ability of United Methodist churches to provide leadership and spiritual care for their communities. Specifically, the conference seeks to address the following concerns:

• Three to four months compensation for pastors whose congregations have evacuated and/or where whole communities were dispersed, such as congregations on the Bolivar Peninsula, Galveston Island and Sabine Pass.

• Assistance with church and parsonage construction and/or reconstruction.

Bishop Huie said in a news article, “I liken where we are to a mother listening to a flight attendant explaining how to take care of her (oxygen) mask before she helps her children. It’s counterintuitive, but if the mother can’t care for her child, the child is helpless. Our churches need to be ‘who they are’ in the community as quickly as possible.”

As many of you are aware, UMCOR strictly follows United Methodist Disaster Response guidelines that contributions be used regardless of a person’s race, color, economic status, or religious affiliation. Because of this, monies gained from the Advance offering for UMCOR can not be used to help support pastors or churches. As Bishop Huie has indicated, such support remains critical for the Texas Conference. Therefore, I’m asking — if at all possible — that you consider an offering for the churches and pastors of the Texas Conference affected by Hurricane Ike.

I would like to ask that each congregation in the CTC set aside a specific Sunday in October to be used for this cause. Please send your funds made payable to the Central Texas Conference for their use in helping the churches and pastors most deeply affected.

Once again, allow me to express my deep gratitude and appreciation for the incredible faithfulness of your service in responding to those in need among us. I encourage you to:

1. Continue to pray for those recovering from Hurricane Ike;

2. Support the UMCOR Advance special;

3. Take some kind of special offering for pastors and churches affected by Hurricane Ike.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Jennifer Bellamy, director of humanitarian services, at 817-877-5222, 800-460-8622 or Jennifer@ctcumc.org.

Yours in Christ,

Bishop Mike Lowry

By: Bishop Mike Lowry On 10/3/2008

Topics: Bishop Columns